Biology

Physiology

Haunter is a purple, ghost-like Pokémon with a roundish body with a pair of disembodied hands with three digits floating in front of it. Haunter possess a trio of spike-like protrusions on either side of its face, and what appears to be a tuft of messy fur hanging beneath it. It has triangular white eyes with tiny black pupils and a mouth with several sharp, purple teeth.

Gender differences

None.

Special abilities

Haunter's powers are stronger than a Gastly. With Haunter's newly developed hands, it can now use physical attacks, such as Poison Jab.

Behavior

Haunter hide in very dark places, where they plot to take the life of the next living thing that comes near. It then silently stalks its victims. It has the ability to float through solid walls, and many people believe that Haunter is from another dimension because of this ability. It has also been known to entertain and prank people.

In the manga

The Black Fog in The Electric Tale of Pikachu

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Ash encounters a giant Haunter called the Black Fog, notorious for using its Dream Eater attack to kill people and Pokémon by stealing their souls. Sabrina has a vendetta against this Haunter, as her Pokémon were attacked and killed by it when she was eleven, but she falls victim as well in her attempt to protect a team of people trying to hunt it down. With the combined effort of Ash and the team of hunters, the Black Fog managed to be weakened enough for capture, only for it to promptly use Selfdestruct, killing itself right before Ash's Ultra Ball reaches it.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

A boy that Blue met near the abandoned Power Plant had a Haunter in his team before it was stolen, with which he later fights Agatha's Gengar to free Blue from a coffin created by a Dream Eater attack. Agatha also had armies of Haunter that she used in her attack on Kanto.

In the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga

In the TCG

Game data

NPC appearances

Pokémon Pinball: Two Haunter appear in a bonus stage accessible from the Red Table. Once the player knocks out the three Gastly, the pair of Haunter appear, and upon knocking them out, the player must then proceed to defeat the Gengar that appears.

Origin

Haunter is possibly based on the dila, a spirit that passes through walls then licks certain humans to death according to Filipino mythology. It also appears to be based on a generic sort of cartoonish ghost.

Name origin

Haunter is derived from haunt, as ghosts are known to do. It could also be a corruption of "hunter".